N00129:376
Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy
Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy: delivered in several sermons on solemn occasions: / by Mr. Samuel Willard Pastor of the Church of Christ at Groton. ; [Eight lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Samuel Green, 1673
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Reas. 2. Because God hath in his Decrees, not only laid men out for punishment, but for their measure and degrees of punishment, which they come to by the height of their sin, and by the number of Mercies abused: this is an awful, but an undeniable Truth, That God hath not only designed such sinners to destruction, but hath allotted them their place in Hell; Judas is gone to his place: there is a Hell more and less tolerable, Mat. 11.15. as also that men come to this, by their abusing and misimproving of mercies, Rom. 2.5. hence therefore sinners must have such a time of Patience, so many Mercies, &c. beyond which, as they shall not be spared, so before which they shall not be disturbed, but let alone till their measure be fulfilled, till they are ripe, and fully fitted to destruction, Gen. 15.16.
Reas. 2. Because God hath in his Decrees, not onely laid men out for punishment, but for their measure and degrees of punishment, which they come to by the height of their sin, and by the number of Mercies abused: this is an awful, but an undeniable Truth, That God hath not onely designed such sinners to destruction, but hath allotted them their place in Hell; Judas is gone to his place: there is a Hell more and less tolerable, Mat. 11.15. as also that men come to this, by their abusing and misimproving of mercies, Rom. 2.5. hence therefore sinners must have such a time of Patience, so many Mercies, &c. beyond which, as they shall not be spared, so before which they shall not be disturbed, but let alone till their measure be sulfilled, till they are ripe, and fully fitted to destruction, Gen. 15.16.
Use. 1. Learn hence, that outward prosperity is no sure token of Gods special favour,